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Time Ukraine Israel,
Almost half a century has passed since the signing of the 1978 Camp David Accords, which marked a historic step towards peace between Egypt and Israel. Today, however, relations between Tel Aviv and Cairo are going through a difficult time, and tensions are rising due to differences in views on the security and stability of the region. Israel, which is fighting for its existence surrounded by hostile forces, deserves more support from Egypt than criticism or detachment.
A recent media spike was just one example of this gap. On 21 March, the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar, known for its proximity to Hezbollah, reported that Egypt was allegedly ready to accept a quarter of Gaza’s population in the Sinai Peninsula. Israeli media outlets – Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, i24 News – quickly picked up the news, reflecting not only the interest but also the strategic need for Israel to find a solution for Gaza. The episode highlighted how Cairo and Tel Aviv see the future of the region differently – and why Egypt could play a more constructive role.
Gaza: a challenge that requires a common solution
The problem of Gaza is not new to Israel. As early as 2004, Giora Eiland, chairman of the National Security Council, proposed to convince Egypt to allocate a part of Sinai to the Palestinians, calling Gaza a “concentration camp” because of its overpopulation and hopelessness. In 2010, Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with Hosni Mubarak the idea of expanding the Palestinian space to Sinai, but was refused. In 2017, Ayoub Qara defended the idea of a Palestinian state in Gaza and Sinai as an alternative to the West Bank.
These proposals are not fantasies – they reflect reality: Israel cannot allow Gaza to remain a hotbed of Hamas-run terrorism, and at the same time, it cannot solve the humanitarian crisis in the Strip on its own. After the 1967 war, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol tried to encourage the outflow of Palestinians from Gaza, but no massive resettlement took place. As journalist Meron Rapoport has noted, Israel eventually realised that it was better to control Gaza than to disperse its population across the region without supervision.
With the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the situation escalated. Eiland proposed that one of the goals of the conflict should be the resettlement of the Gazan population to Egypt or the Gulf states, and his “General’s Plan” included harsh measures for those who refuse to leave the north of the Strip. The Misgav Institute and the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence also proposed resettlement to Sinai. Donald Trump’s “Riviera Plan” – turning Gaza into a prosperous region with Palestinian resettlement in Egypt – was hailed by Netanyahu as “visionary”. Israeli ministers, from defence to finance, see it as a chance to finally break the cycle of violence.
Egypt: partner or obstacle?
Cairo rejects these ideas, calling them the “liquidation” of the Palestinian cause. The Egyptian authorities insist that Sinai will not become a refuge for refugees, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres even accused Trump’s plan of ethnic cleansing. But isn’t it time for Egypt to reconsider its position? Israel is not seeking aggression against Cairo – it is seeking partnership to solve a common problem. Gaza, which borders the Sinai, is a source of instability not only for Israel but also for Egypt itself, where radical groups have long posed a threat.
Instead of cooperation, Cairo chooses confrontation. Supporting South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel in the International Court of Justice for genocide in Gaza looks like a betrayal of the spirit of the Camp David Accords. Israeli leaders, such as Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter or Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Dunnon, have expressed concern about Egypt’s possible military build-up in Sinai. Although these statements are sometimes exaggerated, they reflect Tel Aviv’s real concern: is Egypt, a partner in peace, becoming a new threat?
Israeli strategy: security through determination
Israel has to act decisively. The war in Gaza, the occupation of new territories in Syria, and the control of southern Lebanon are not aggression, but the need for pre-emption. Even the rhetoric against Turkey, which Netanyahu allegedly promotes through the media, is part of a broader strategy: Tel Aviv cannot afford to wait for its enemies to get stronger. In this context, support for the Riviera Plan or other Palestinian resettlement initiatives is not imperialism, but an attempt to find a way out of the impasse.
Egypt could become a key ally in this process. By accepting part of the responsibility for the fate of Gaza, Cairo would not only strengthen its own security in Sinai, but also confirm its role as a leader of the Arab world. Instead, refusal to engage in dialogue and remilitarisation of the peninsula, which Egypt threatens to do if Palestinians are relocated, will only worsen the situation for everyone.
Time for a new partnership
The space for cooperation between Israel and Egypt still exists, but it is shrinking due to Cairo’s stubbornness. Surrounded by enemies, Israel has the right to defend itself and to seek solutions, such as the Riviera Plan. Egypt, for its part, must remember that Camp David was not only about peace, but also about shared responsibility for stability. If Cairo continues to see Israel as a problem rather than a partner, the region risks descending into chaos. Tel Aviv deserves support, not condemnation – and Egypt has a chance to understand this before it is too late.
Author: Marianna Nyzhnia
